frequentatives

One of the delights of
etymology is the discovery of unexpected connections between words and
there is no richer source of these than the class of words known as
frequentatives. Never heard of them? But you use them all the
time. For instance... when you are fond of something you
might find yourself fondling it. To fondle was formed
simply by adding -le to the word fond and many other
frequentatives are formed along the same lines. Thus, a handle
is meant to be grasped by a hand, a spindle is used
in spinning and one treads upon a treadle.

Both saddle and settle
(meaning "bench") are frequentative forms of seat and a bundle
(or bindle) is something which is bound. A griddle
is a kind of grill, a cradle is essentially a crate
and when milk forms curds it is said to curdle.

Some are not so obvious,
though. To cuddle meant to be couth (i.e. "snug,
cosy") and we lade soup with a ladle. If we tumble
we almost "perform an acrobatic feat" as this is what the old
verb to tumb meant. We use a bridle to pull at a
horse's head because to braid originally meant "to pull
from side to side". The word swaddle is seldom
heard these days except at Christmas and then only in the form swaddling-bands.
These strips of cloth were once used to swathe (i.e.
"wrap") babies.

Riddle
is formed from the Old English word rede "advice,
opinion". This rede is the basis of theunready in the name of King Ethelred the Unready. The epithet
applied to this Anglo-Saxon king (968 - 1016) did not imply that he was
unprepared but that he was unrede, "unadvised". He
simply wouldn't listen.

To paddle
comes from the obsolete verb to pad meaning "to
walk". This is cognate with pedal "of the
feet" (from Latin pes, pedis "foot"), path
and even foot itself. We also speak of the pitter-patter
of tiny feet. This -ter ending represents another way in
which English forms its frequentatives. Thus fetter and fettle
(as in "in fine fettle") are really the same word.

A pig might gruntle
("make grunting noises") while it rootles ("searches
for roots"), though we rarely hear gruntle outside of
the word disgruntled. A shuttleshoots and spittle
is just a posh way of saying spit. When we hurtle
we cause a little hurt (originally "to strike") and in jostling
someone we have a little joust with them. They might even start
(i.e. "jump") if we startle them.

A candle may glimmer
if it gives a little gleam or flicker when its light gives
little flicks. To flutter originally meant to move as
if floating on the waves and a dribble is a series of drips.
A tramp might trample on your flower beds,
then shove what's left with a shovel. Try to wrest that
shovel from the tramp's grasp and you might just end up wrestling
with him.

Well, we could chatter
on all night like this but we'll stop lest you think us a pair of nutters
with noddles full of babble.

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